• The recent Trump-Harris debate has sparked mixed reactions, with Trump praising his performance despite criticism.
• Critics, including Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, felt Trump missed opportunities and failed to stay focused.
• The debate attracted 67.1 million viewers, surpassing the viewership of Trump's previous debate with Biden.
• While some donors and advisers believe Harris won, some undecided voters leaned towards Trump post-debate.

The recent presidential debate between Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris has stirred up a whirlwind of reactions. Despite facing criticism from some party officials, donors, and advisers, Trump praised his performance. He stated on the Fox & Friends program, "I think it was one of my better debates, maybe my best debate." He also expressed uncertainty about participating in another debate, saying, "I'd be less inclined ... because we had a great night."

The debate saw Harris, 59, putting Trump, 78, on the defensive with a series of attacks on his fitness for office and his numerous legal issues.

Trump, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, is now facing an election on November 5th. Among the critics of Trump's performance was Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent ally of Trump. Graham described Trump's performance as a missed opportunity, stating that the former president had failed to stay focused and lost chances to tout his record.

Chris Christie, a former Trump ally-turned-critic who ran against Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, stated that Harris was exquisitely prepared for the debate, while Trump was not. He went on to say, "Whoever did debate prep for Donald Trump should be fired. He was not good tonight at all."

Trump's Performance and Audience Response

The Trump campaign has not responded to requests for comment on potential changes to his debate team. This silence has led to speculation about a possible shake-up of Trump's debate team. The debate between Trump and Harris attracted a significant audience, with 67.1 million television viewers tuning in, according to Nielsen data. This figure surpasses the roughly 51 million people who watched Trump debate then-candidate President Joe Biden in June.

However, these numbers do not capture the full extent of online viewing, which has grown in popularity as traditional TV audiences decline. The general consensus among six Republican donors and three Trump advisers was that Harris won the debate. They believed that Trump's inability to stay on message was a significant factor in his perceived loss. Several of them expressed dismay at Trump's amplification of a false online claim that numerous Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating residents' pets.

Despite the criticism, some undecided voters seemed to lean towards Trump after the debate. In interviews with Reuters, six out of ten undecided voters said they would now either vote for Trump or were leaning towards backing him. Three said they would now back Harris, and one was still unsure how he would vote.

The Prospect of a Second Debate

In a show of confidence, Harris' campaign challenged Trump to a second round of debate in October. However, the response from Trump's camp has been mixed. Two of the six donors were unsure whether Trump should debate her again, with one saying it would hinge on whether his handlers were confident he could be more focused in a second round. Two other donors, however, thought Trump needed a second debate to regain momentum.

Bill Bean, a commercial real estate investor in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and one of the donors, said, "My honest opinion is that Trump underperformed and she overperformed." On the prospect of a second debate, Bean said: "I'd like to see one."